London, Sep 19 (ANI): Whoever says tortoises are slow must meet Freeway-a Hermann's tortoise who was found crossing the fast lane of the M25 in Britain. reeway has crossed five lanes of London's M25 motorway and survived.

It was a driver, named John Formby, who spotted Freeway and pulled over to rescue him.

"I saw this bundle in the road and thought it was a bit of debris. I went to swerve it but noticed it was moving - then saw it had a head," the Telegraph quoted Formby, from Worthing, as saying.

"I couldn't believe it was a tortoise crossing the motorway, through traffic travelling at 70mph. I pulled over and ran 400 yards back up the road to get it.

"I was holding my breath as it came from the central reservation towards the hard shoulder. Three vehicles went right over the top of it but somehow missed it. It didn't even pop back into its shell, just kept on walking as if it knew it had to get to the other side," he added.

He ran out and picked Freeway in the slow lane, stopped off to buy him lunch of lettuce and tomato, before driving him to an animal centre near his home, where vets found he had been microchipped in America.

Billy Elliot, of the Worthing and District Animal Sanctuary, said: "That explained why he was on the wrong side of the road. We have named him Freeway for now, the American word for motorway."

Freeway was found on the junction of the M25 and M23, miles from the nearest house.

"It's a miracle he survived. He could have been on the road for a long time before he was picked up. It was the busiest time of the day on one of the busiest roads in the country. He couldn't have picked a worse place to go for a stroll," said Elliott.

Vets are taking care of Freeway, who is thought to be about 10 years old, for the weekend while Elliott is trying to trace his owners. (ANI)